Myrtle Beach SC to Camp Le Jeune Marine Base NC

April 25, 2015

We awoke to a dreary morning with a forecast of rain for the day, so instead of leaving at 7 a.m., we quickly opted instead to “stay put” today so that we could catch up on our blog, read, pay bills, nap, and watch movies, etc.  The only outside activity we did was to turn our boat around with the aid of the dock master, so that we would be facing out toward the marina entrance, in preparation for leaving tomorrow morning. Quiet days in the rain can be a good thing!

 

April 26, 2015

 

 Socastee Swing Bridge at dawn on the South Carolina ICW

 

  Golf Course on the ICW - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

 

 Golf Course Cable Cars over the ICW 

 

 "Boat of the Day" (#1) - Barefoot Landing, SC

 

 "American Glory" Cruise Ship docked at Barefoot Landing

 

 Rock Ledges along the "Rock Pile" part of the ICW in South Carolina (a good place to bend a prop and shaft!)

 

 Little River Swing Bridge opening for us in Myrtle Beach, SC

 

 Would you paint your house this color?

 

"Big M Casino" boat - Myrtle Beach, SC

 A View from the Top

 

 "Boat of the Day" (#2)

 

End of the Day in Southport, NC

 

“Reflection left Osprey Marina at 6:20 a.m., and it seemed that we were the only boaters stirring. However, we’re pretty sure that this pastoral scene didn’t last for very long, because when George blew our boat’s horn to signal to any nearby boats in the Intracoastal Waterway that we were entering the channel, the sound was not only loud, but it reverberated throughout the area!  What a wake-up call for everybody! Today’s destination was Southport, North Carolina, a distance of 65 miles.  Our route took us past Myrtle Beach with several golf resorts with marinas on the waterway, and also through the notorious “Rock Pile”, an area on the ICW lined with rock ledges left over from when this water thoroughfare was blasted literally through rock!  Unfortunately, the remnants line the sides of the channel, and you must watch your water depths carefully, or you risk damage to your boat’s prop, shaft, etc. We experienced this in 2010, when we moved over to let another boat pass us, and it was an unpleasant and costly event.  “Reflection” arrived at South Harbor Village Marina at 12:50 p.m., and we then settled in for a relaxing afternoon, followed by dinner at the marina’s seafood restaurant with rain falling as we left and temperatures in the high 50s.

 

April 27, 2015

 

Cape Fear Lighthouse before dawn 

 Homes along the ICW in North Carolina

Would you paint your house this color? 

Osprey V22 Tilt Rotor-Helicopter in front of our boat - Camp Le Jeune, NC

 

 

 

We pulled away from the dock at 6 a.m. again with no other folks around, and no other boat traffic.  Shortly afterwards we crossed the Cape Fear River amidst sunny skies, but with an air temperature of 49 degrees, wind out of the north on our bow, and a water temperature of only 57 degrees, as Florida snowbirds we felt like we were in Alaska! We ran the boat from our lower helm for quite awhile, but eventually went to the upper helm when things warmed up a little.  Today’s route took us through Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and the Surf City area for a distance of 67 miles to our destination – Mile Hammock Bay Anchorage in Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina. This spot is an often “exciting” location, where we have at various times witnessed amphibious landing craft exercises, and Osprey V22 Tilt Rotor Helicopters (part plane, part helicopter) flying and hovering overhead right in the anchorage.  There are also many mysterious “booming “ sounds that can be heard in the distance, as well some very “LOUD” gunnery exercises that go on nearby.  In fact, on some occasions the Intracoastal Waterway is closed off for a time while these exercises go on. Today we were anchored by 1:55 p.m. and by 5 p.m., we were the lone powerboat in the anchorage surrounded by 8 sailboats in a circle around us.  The Osprey exercises continued for quite awhile with the same scenario repeated over and over by the air-craft: take-off, fly around the base, then hover in place, even in the dark after we were in bed.  Didn’t they know that this was “Dancing with the Stars” night on T.V.?  Yes, we all have our priorities, but despite the noise overhead, we were glad that the Marines’ priority is protecting us and our nation!  As George said, “I’m glad that they’re on OUR side!”.

 

 

 



Isle of Palms to Myrtle Beach, SC

April 23, 1015

 South Carolina Low Country

 



Solitude! 

 South Island Cable Ferry

 

 Winyah Bay Plantation Tours

 

Georgetown Harbor

Under partly cloudy skies and temps in the low 60s we cast off our lines at 7:30 a.m. for a 55 mile journey north to Georgetown, South Carolina.  “Reflection” arrived at Harborwalk Marina at 1:15 p.m., and 30 minutes later Pat was already doing laundry in their absolutely immaculate laundry room and shower facility (the nicest that we have seen in all our journeys up and down the ICW). She finished up around 4 p.m., and by that time “Reflection” had been joined by a number of other boats at the dock.  George, in the meantime, had walked down to the shrimp boat docks down the street, purchased some fresh shrimp and boiled them up as an appetizer for us before our delicious Chicken Marsala and salad dinner. Yes, we know, cruising is really tough aboard our boat!

 

April 24, 2015

 

 Wacca Wache Marina - Waccamaw River, South Carolina

 Three-Masted Schooner - Waccamaw River

"Wild life" (goats) at Osprey Marina, SC

 Osprey Marina Office

Looking Down the Entrance Channel at Osprey Marina 

 

This morning we decided to change things up a bit and to have breakfast at the “Thomas Café” close by the marina on Front Street in historic Georgetown.  This restaurant only serves breakfast and lunch, and the food is not only great, but also has generous portions at reasonable prices.  By 8:55 a.m. we then cast off our lines and started out on a 31 mile trip up the Waccamaw River to Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach. On the water we saw many of the boats that were docked at the marina last night, as well as others we had encountered previously along the way.  The wind was blowing strongly out of the north on our bow, which made it quite cool on the upper deck, so we ran the boat early on from the lower helm, but eventually went back up on top as things warmed up a bit, and arrived at Osprey Marina at 11:50 a.m.  “Reflection” then took on almost 256 gallons of fuel, and remained at this dock overnight.



 



Port Royal to Isle of Palms

April 21, 2015



Low Country Docks

Low Country Dock Houses

We decided to leave at 7:40 a.m. (a little later than usual for us), since we were going only 44 miles to one of our favorite anchorages on Steamboat Creek, near the Edisto River, south of Charleston.  When we arrived there at 12:40 p.m., we were the only boat there and that’s how things remained.  Today’s boat traffic seemed very light, and with temperatures in the 60s we have broken out our storm gear jackets while operating from the upper helm.  This was a quiet, serene setting, and one to which we love to return!

 

April 22, 2015

 

Entering Elliott Cut South of Charleston

 

Regulations for Elliott Cut

 Home on Elliott Cut

Firehouse on the Waterway



Charleston Harbor

 

 Coast Guard and Churches

 

 

Battery Mansion

 

Battery Mansion

 

Cooper River Bridge 

 

 Fort Sumter

 

Isle of Palms Harbor

 

 We awoke to temperatures in the 50s, so we added storm pants to our outerwear besides our jackets.  Today “Reflection” lifted anchor at 7:20 a.m. for a 42 mile trip to Isle of Palms Marina, a few miles north of Charleston. The tricky portion of this part of the journey is the extreme tidal rises and falls which cause depth problems for boaters in coastal South Carolina.  Unfortunately, governmental funding for dredging has not been forthcoming, and certain areas have become virtually impassable for boaters at low tide.  Wisely, George times our travel through these sections very carefully, so that we can avoid grounding problems.  It was a lovely sunny morning with beautiful blue skies and glistening waters as we crossed Charleston Harbor and then passed historic Fort Sumter, and we arrived at Isle of Palms Marina before noon. We then had lunch at the busy deli on the premises at their outside picnic benches.  Today we also received a contract from “Waterway Guide”, a well-known publishing group that produces a number of boating guidebooks for many areas of the country.  They have asked us to be Cruising Editors for their “2016 Great Lakes/Great Loop Route Waterway Guide” which will cover the waterways from the Erie Canal, Canadian waterways, Lake Michigan’s eastern shore, and the rivers from Chicago to Mobile.  So, while we are “Looping”, we will also be doing research on, as well as up-dating, existing information not only on these areas, but also the towns and locales associated with them!  It is a great opportunity for us, and just the kind of thing we like to do!



St. Augustine, Fl to Port Royal, SC

April 16, 2015

Today in St. Augustine was cloudy and overcast with temps in the 70s, and it was the first day so far on this trip that we have elected not to move, because we are awaiting the arrival of Lou and Judy who have flown to Florida to pick up our car and take it home for us.  It was a quiet day which we used to catch up on our blog, make phone calls, clean the boat, etc.  We’re a little concerned, because despite the fact that Judy was not feeling well and was having some gastric problems, she was insistent on joining us anyway.  We kept in touch with them all day regarding their travel progress, and knew that they would not arrive until late, so we went out to dinner ourselves at “Hurricane Patty’s”, a popular indoor/outdoor restaurant on the premises of Rivers Edge marina.  It is a “happening” place with good seafood and lots of music.  Our friends finally arrived at the boat about 10:45 p.m. after having taken not only an early morning airline flight, but also having spent about twelve hours driving to Marathon from Ft. Lauderdale, and then from Marathon all the way to St. Augustine in one day.  These are true friends!

April 17, 2015

Tall Ship near The Bridge of Lions - St. Augustine, FL

 

American Cruise Line ship - "American Star"

 

Judy was feeling somewhat better this morning, and she and Pat planned to drive from St. Augustine to Fernandina today, while George and Lou moved the boat there.  “Reflection” left the dock at 7:50 a.m. in order to make the 8:30 a.m. timed opening at the Bridge of Lions, and the ladies drove to the City Park wall overlooking the St. Augustine mooring field so that they could take pictures of the boat as it came past them and headed for the bridge.  Afterwards, they found a great place for breakfast on the outskirts of town, and then headed to Fernandina for a pleasant day of shopping in this lovely southern town, followed by “lunching” on ice cream cones at one of its fudge stores. This was purely a “medicinal” measure, for after all, Judy needed something soothing for her stomach!  The men, meanwhile, travelled north with the boat on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway for 65 miles, and arrived at Fernandina Harbor marina at 2:40 p.m., and were tied up at the same outside dock as the American Cruise Line’s ship, “American Star”. These ships are small in size with somewhat shallow drafts which allows them to explore interior rivers and waterways, and they also carry a much smaller amount of passengers than ocean-going ships. That evening we went to dinner at “Brett’s”, a popular restaurant which overlooks the water and is located right on the marina property.  This was followed by our playing “Mexican Train Dominoes” on board, which is one of our favorite and frequent pastimes on Friday nights at home.

  

April 18, 2015

Pat and Judy waiving "Goodbye" from Fernandina Beach

 

 Fort Clinch going out St, Mary's Inlet

 

St. Simon's Light coming into St. Simon's Inlet



 



Judy had a rough time overnight with more gastric distress.  This probably occurred because she had started feeling better yesterday, and possibly may have over-did it at dinner.  At any rate, she was a “trooper” again this morning, and decided that we should continue with our original plan.  So, the men pulled away from the dock at 8 a.m. for a 47 mile trip via the ocean north to Brunswick, Georgia, and after breakfast (a very light one for Judy) at the “Doo Wop Diner” on Amelia Island, the ladies drove to Brunswick, Georgia, and again did some shopping, had a walk around town, and even visited a small Farmers’ Market.  The weather was overcast, however, and some light rain began to fall as they waited to meet “Reflection” at Brunswick Landing Marina. George and Lou arrived at 12:30 p.m. and immediately had the boat filled with fuel.  Pat then headed to the marina’s laundry to do several loads of wash, and the others went out for lunch to “Tipsey McSweeney’s” in town.  We all reconvened later aboard for naps, some T.V., George’s delicious Pork Chops and Gravy dinner, and, of course, another game of “Mexican Dominoes”!

April 19, 2015



  Savannah Yacht Club at dusk

 



Sunset after the storm at the Savannah Yacht Club

 

It was still somewhat dark when ‘Reflection” left the dock at 6:30 a.m. bound for Savannah via the ocean route.  When possible, we always try to do an offshore trip around Georgia if the weather permits, because not only is it shorter, but also because we can avoid many of the tremendous tidal changes and swift currents on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in this area which offer a lot of potential for grounding situations. Despite the rain and thunderstorm predictions of the last several days, the sea was quite placid both yesterday and today with light and variable winds out of the south. The ladies again headed north with the car and made a stop for breakfast at a “Cracker Barrel” off of Route 95.  Judy was again feeling better, and so afterwards they headed for the new Tanger Outlets in the area which had just opened a few days before.  Unfortunately, however, they arrived too early, because the stores didn’t open that day until 11 a.m.  Undeterred, they then headed straight to the Savannah waterfront to the shops on River Street and had a wonderful time!  Meanwhile, the men also did very well, and made the 89 mile trip to the Savannah Yacht Club in 6 hours. “Reflection” was tied up at 12:30 p.m., and afterwards we all relaxed for a few hours.  Andrew and Clare Zeigler from Savannah, who we met through Lou and Judy, were due to come aboard around 4:30 p.m. for cocktails, but because thunderstorms with heavy rain were predicted, and there was also a tornado watch, we decided to meet in the Yacht Club Bar instead. The heavy rain did ensue, but when things started to clear, we then eventually headed to “Bella’s” Restaurant for a terrific Italian dinner.  Afterwards, when we returned to the Yacht Club, there was a beautiful sunset in the distance.  It was truly a great night with great friends!

 

April 20, 2015



American Cruise Line's "Independence"

 





Port Royal Landing Marina

Lou and Judy snuck quietly off the boat at 4:30 a.m. for their long car trip back to New Jersey, and we left the Savannah Yacht Club dock at 6:40 a.m. bound for the Port Royal Landing Marina in Port Royal, South Carolina. Our trip was quiet and uneventful, but the skies were still quite overcast with winds out of the southwest at 10-15 knots.  There were not many boats on the water, and the temperatures were in the 60s – not exactly what we have become accustomed to after a winter in the Florida Keys!  The only real vessel of note was the American Cruise Line’s “Independence”, which passed by us on its way south from Beaufort to Savannah.  After a trip of 46 miles we tied up at the marina at 11:40 a.m., and soon afterwards we borrowed the marina’s courtesy car (actually a truck), and headed out for a fast-food lunch, picked up a boat part at West Marine, and did some food shopping at the new Publix Supermarket on Lady’s Island. Later on, we both relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, took naps, and made use of the marina’s cable excellent T.V. service by watching some of our favorite shows, including, of course, Monday night’s “Dancing With The Stars”!



Melbourne to St. Augustine, Fl

April 12, 2015

Eau Gallie Yacht Club

 

We cast off our lines at 6:55 a.m. on a partly cloudy morning for a 44 mile trip to the Eau Gallie Yacht Club There was a chance of thunderstorms later, temps in the low 80s, and winds continuing out of the southeast at around 10 mph.  It was a pleasant trip north, and we arrived at Eau Gallie at 11:45 a.m.  This yacht club has a lovely pool area, and many families with were at the pool, on their boats, or playing in the water around the marina area on very large boogie boards.  Unfortunately, the skies eventually became overcast, and we had rain showers for about two hours in the afternoon.  Rather than attend the club’s Sunday Brunch, we opted instead to have a casual dinner at their Grille at 6 p.m. The food was very good, and we watched the ending of the Masters Golf tournament on the many large T.V.s around the bar area, and upon returning to our boat, we continued to watch some of our favorite T.V. series’ DVDS, “The Big Bang Theory”, a gift from our friends, Lou and Judy Ianniello.

 

April 13, 2015



A view of NASA from our anchorage

 

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket and Dragon Spacecraft

 

We pulled off the dock at 7:40 a.m., and our original plan was to head to Titusville to an anchorage some 38 miles away south of the NASA Railroad Bridge. However, on our way north we decided instead to anchor at Addison Anchorage, some 8 miles closer to the site of today’s planned space launch of a SpaceX 208 foot Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, which will be on a re-supply mission to the International Space Station and is scheduled to go off today at 4:33p.m.

 We began to follow the launch proceedings live on NASA TV starting at 3:30 p.m.  The announcer warned that there was a possibility of a hold in the launch, if a small storm cell approaching from the southwest got within 10 miles of the of the site.  The countdown continued: “45 minutes and counting”, “30 minutes and counting”, “15 minutes and counting”, “10 minutes and counting”, “5 minutes and counting”, “3 minutes and counting”,  and at 2 minutes we were going to head out the door to the foredeck for an unobstructed view of the launch.  This was going to be spectacular, for we have never had an opportunity to see a live rocket launch!  Then it happened, “HOLD, HOLD, HOLD” came over the TV at 2 minutes and 39 seconds to launch.  NASA scrubbed the launch and rescheduled it for the following day, because the storm cell got within10 mile of the launch site.  What a let-down, and, by the way, it didn’t start to rain for over 2 hours after the scheduled launch time!  Boy, were we disappointed, but though there is really no comparison, Pat was comforted by the thought that “Dancing with the Stars” (one of her favorite shows) would be on tonight!

 

April 14, 20015

 

 First "Boat of the Day"

 Second "Boat of the Day"

 

 Marina and Campground along the ICW (A little slice of paradise!)

 

 This boat gives "anchoring" a bad name

 

 Third "Boat of the Day"

 

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse

 

Halifax River Yacht Club

 

Today we awoke in to temps in the high 60s and lifted anchor at 6:45 a.m. bound for the Halifax River Yacht Club in Daytona Beach.  This is one of our favorite Clubs because of its beautiful facilities, excellent food, laundry facilities, extremely helpful dock master, and George’s favorite – hand-made potato chips as bar “munchies”.  It is also the place where we met our “Angel”, Les Levy, who urged us to call his friend and fellow HRYC member, Doug Brown, owner of Atlantic Publishing in Ocala, who eventually became the publisher of both of our books!  “Reflection” was met at the dock at 1 p.m by Dock Master, Pete, and greeted with a warm and gracious “Welcome Back”!  Pat set out immediately for the laundry room to do several loads, while George took care of things aboard.  We had originally hoped to meet our Banana Bay Marina friends, Jon and Susan Blake, here for dinner tonight, but they were involved in running a MTOA (Marine Trawler Owners Association) Rendezvous at the huge marina next door.  So, after our chores, emails, etc. were taken care of, we headed off to the Dining Room by ourselves for dinner.  All was quiet and lovely, until about a half an hour later, when two people dressed as “Bikers” pulled up chairs, and sat down at our table!  Who could it be, but Jon and Susan, in full regalia – complete with fake tattoos – (at least we think they were fake)!  They stayed very briefly, but just wanted to say “Hello”, since they were attending the Rendezvous’ Biker Party next door.  Those of you who know this couple, and their wonderful dog, Crew, will appreciate this surprise as being typical of them, and they surely surprised the other people in the Yacht Club Dining Room, since they certainly were definitely not in typical yacht club dress! It was great!

April 15, 2015

 

 "Boat of the Day"

 

 The ICW along Palm Coast

 

 Historic Fort Matanzas built by the Spanish, now a National Monument

 

Sand Dunes at Matanzas Inlet

The weather for the next few days has become of some concern, since heavy thunderstorms have been predicted both here in Daytona and in St. Augustine, which is our next stop, and is the location where we are meeting our close friends and neighbors, Lou and Judy Ianniello.  They will be flying into Fort Lauderdale on Thursday morning, and from there will then drive to Marathon to pick up our car for us, and drive it home to New Jersey.  They are due to come aboard that same evening, and then over the next several days Lou and George will move the boat to Fernandina, Florida on Friday, to Brunswick, Georgia, on Saturday, and on to Savannah on Sunday, while Judy and Pat at the same time drive the car to meet them at each of these locations.  In Savannah we also plan to all meet up with our friends, Andrew and Clare Zeigler, who live there, at the Savannah Yacht Club. Who says boating doesn’t take planning? So, just to make sure that we will be at our meeting point on time, and to try to avoid the storms, we decided to leave before dark this morning at 6 a.m. for a 55 mile trip from Daytona to Rivers Edge Marina in St. Augustine.  The weather was tranquil, so we made great time, and even after a fuel stop up the river, we were safely tied up at our dock by noon. The rain didn’t hit us until 5 p.m., and we settled in for a quiet evening with sautéed catfish and salads for dinner.